Dale Earnhardt died in a last-lap crash of “the Super Bowl of NASCAR”, the Daytona 500. Hours later, at a press conference, NASCAR President Mike Hilton made the formal announcement to the world saying, "This is undoubtedly one of the toughest announcements that I’ve ever personally had to make. But…after the accident in Turn 4 at the end of the Daytona 500, we’ve lost Dale Earnhardt”.

Earnhardt had notable success in the Winston Cup Series, now called the Sprint Cup Series, winning seventy-six races, including one Daytona 500 victory in 1998. Earnhardt’s seven championships are tied for most all-time with Richard Petty. Dale Earnhardt as been inducted in numerous halls of fame, including the inaugural class of the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2010.